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Microsoft Enhances AI Capabilities In Windows 11 Update
The update isn’t a game changer, but is useful for Copilot fans.
After introducing Copilot Pro at the beginning of the year, Microsoft has added a series of enhancements to bolster its AI assistant’s functionality in Windows 11. A notable new addition is the integration of plugins, a feature previously exclusive to the web version of Copilot.
Users can now seamlessly connect Copilot with various services like OpenTable and Instacart, allowing them to book restaurant reservations and do grocery shopping directly within the chat interface. Additional plugins from Kayak, Klarna, and Shopify are slated for release in the coming month, underscoring Microsoft’s aim to optimize usability within the Copilot environment.
In addition, Microsoft is streamlining access to system settings by enabling users to perform tasks like toggling battery saver mode, and managing hardware profiles directly from inside of the AI chat interface. Copilot can also execute commands to activate accessibility features such as Live Captions, Narrator, and Screen Magnifier, as well as display available Wi-Fi networks. This enhanced integration should improve the user experience by eliminating the need to navigate through the Settings app.
Furthermore, Microsoft is enhancing AI capabilities in select Windows 11 apps such as Photos and Clipchamp. Photos now features a Generative Erase function for removing unwanted elements from images, while Clipchamp is set to introduce a Silence Removal AI tool for editing videos.
Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide
These Copilot and AI enhancements will be gradually rolled out to users with Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. To access these updates, Microsoft advises users to enable the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option. Most features are expected to be accessible with the optional March 2024 non-security preview update.
News
Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks
Visa data shows cards and mobile wallets dominate spending, with smartphones now driving a growing share of daily transactions.
Digital payments now account for 80% of all transactions in Saudi Arabia, according to Visa’s latest Where Cash Hides report, another marker of how quickly the Kingdom is moving away from cash.
The share is up four percentage points from a year ago. Around 67% of consumers are now largely non-cash users, paying mainly with cards or mobile wallets. Smartphones are taking a bigger role, with mobile payments making up 16% of transactions.
Cash is retreating in routine spending. Eating out dropped 9%. Bill payments fell 8%, as shoppers opt for faster checkouts and app-based payments.
“The data shows a steady move toward digital payments in Saudi Arabia. Such progress is possible only because banks, fintechs, merchants, and technology partners are moving together in the same direction, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” said Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.
Also Read: UAE Users Sleep Less, But More Efficiently, ŌURA Data Reveals
Despite the recent findings, it’s important to note that cash hasn’t yet disappeared. It still shows up for tips (39%), peer-to-peer transfers (28%) and rent (14%).
Visa points to security features such as tokenization, along with rewards and cashback, as factors nudging more spending onto cards and phones — a shift that tracks with Saudi Arabia’s wider Vision 2030 push to digitize commerce.
Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks
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